Friday, January 29, 2016

HayMac teachers ask for more support staff, family activities, summer program to turnaround school

HayMac teachers ask for more support staff, family activities, summer program to turnaround school

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

They have already had enough time to turn this school around,time for some drastic action from downtown.

Unknown said...

Another comment from an anonymous critic!! Stand behind your knowledge

Anonymous said...

First of all, Durkin set the previous "turn around' plan in motion. It was her plan. She should take the fall for this, not the teachers. The teachers work 12-14 hour days to make sure their students succeed. They cannot follow these kids home and make sure home work is completed. This is the PARENT's responsibility. The parents have to bring their kids up to be respectful, responsible and hard working.

Anonymous said...

Chris, God Bless you! <3

Anonymous said...

just once can we see the standard times hold the school committee and superintendent responsible for the failures and not the teachers or admin. by all accounts hay-mac had a principal that gained the trust of the faculty and student body yet the data was not up to durkins standards.
i can't see how improvement will take place when there is no stability in the system. i understand mr. cotter has been to the school but who else from the school committee even knows where hay mac is?
also, if the teachers are now so important to the success of the school, why hasnt the mayor and superintendent made the new contract a priority. you need to get your house in order before growing. i can see now another exodus to area schools. but hey someone has to pay the salaries of durkin and all of her hires that still need directions to the area schools.

Anonymous said...

Southbridge, here we come, if we keep up the Cotter Carnival! Kiss the NBEA and all our union rights bye-bye! He thinks he's such a "Tough Guy" and he'll be the demise of our contract if Chester has his way!

Anonymous said...

DeFalco was flying around on Friday to intimidate and bully the teachers. If only he knew that he is such a laughing stock in this district.

Unknown said...

It must be easy remaining anonymous. I don't thing I'm anything at all but honest and inquisitive. As far as my Carnival, still not clear on what you mean but that's something difficult for you to explain I guess

Anonymous said...

if it's not extremely obvious, some of us remain anonymous because as a teacher in a school district you wouldn't exactly feel comfortable criticizing administration and school committee. Is that simple enough to understand????????????????????

Sandra Sweeney said...

^ What's simple to understand is that you are either a coward or a Durkin worshiper trying to protect her assets. In my opinion you're fearful Cotter will bring down the house of cards Durkin built. Too bad for you!

Anonymous said...

Oh Sweeney - take a pill!

Anonymous said...


To The Southbridge post: I would like to reiterate my comments previously posted on an earlier blog in which you referenced Southbridge and the jeopardy of your union rights. NBPS teachers have not had a contract since 6/30/15. The last pay increase you received over the past number of years was a token sample of a bread crumb! To my knowledge the current offer by this administration is for a 3 year contract at 0-0-1%. I believe that "generous" offer also includes an increase in the length of the school day for some and a decrease in planning time for others. You basically have no seniority advantage for bidding any longer, Seniority rights is pretty much reduced to protection of job security during RIF. The subjective inequities taking placed throughout the district in the Ed. Eval is forcing record numbers of teachers to leave NBPS. These loss of rights have more to do with past bargains between MTA and the DESE than anything the NBEA had influence in. Grievances are addressed by this administration with no sense of urgency, concern or interest. Etc., etc., etc….! Chris Cotter is the only real hope the NBPS teachers have had for their voices and concerns to be heard at SC meetings since Durkin arrived. So, what planet are you teaching on if in fact you are a teacher at all?

29 January, 2016

Anonymous said...

FORGET THE CONTRACT it's about the RIGHTS!

Anonymous said...

It is high time that a member of the School Committee speak up and challenge the superintendent. Thank you Chris. The other members are just her rubber stamp. Chris, keep asking and bringing up the issues that need to be addressed such as discipline problems, lack of materials, and the number of teachers leaving the district to go to work in other school districts. Remember the days when it was difficult to get a teaching job in New Bedford!?

Anonymous said...

To clarify for those who play word games and for the tough guys. When the takeover you are talking yourself to comes you will have zero contractual rights. I know you went off on a tangent about the mighty buck for a moment but stick to the point. Answer this: how are the seniority rights in Lawrence ? How did Holyoke tough guys fare? Stop the takeover? Did they?

Anonymous said...

HayMac will never improve nor will Parker and the other schools with high ratios of poverty,until we address the poverty issue and self esteem issues that go with it...we also don't need middle class teachers ,who have no idea of what it's like living in poverty teaching these children or making the decisions that will affect their lives.

Anonymous said...

I'll tell you , I grew up in a tough area of NB, my family was poor. I worked my butt off to get where I am now. I didn't use my situation as an excuse. I became a MIDDLE Class teacher that grew up in poverty. So, don't sling that bull here!

Anonymous said...

What ever happened to parental responsibility? Along with a work ethic and respect, has that gone out the window too?

Anonymous said...

You may have lived in a poor family but not a poorly educated one-or one so dysfunctional that "working your butt off" and/or "pulling yourself up by the bootstraps" would have been impossible.

Were your parents drug addicts? Unemployed at age 20 for the remainder of their parenting life? Did they then begin to raise the children of their children? Did generation after generation in your poor family do worse than the last? Think. Poverty damages the brain. Look it up.

Anonymous said...

What kind of a stupid statement is this (copied from above) "we also don't need middle class teachers ,who have no idea of what it's like living in poverty teaching these children or making the decisions that will affect their lives." Who does the author of that comment suggest teach children from impoverished areas?

Anonymous said...

So middle class teachers can't be kind, compassionate, caring and inspirational to children from poverty. Your post may be the dumbest I've ever seen on this blog!

Anonymous said...

First I will say I am not a teacher. That being said, How dare you make a comment about "middle class teachers" . Also you are saying children of dysfunctional families have no chance ????.
I personally can tell you that is totally untrue! Many of those children do succeed and oh my, yes, go to college and even become teachers themselves among other professions. Also how dare you judge the childhood/life of teachers that you have no idea about !!!! These teachers give it their all!!!! Also many are working two jobs to support themselves!!! You can rise above and succeed!! I did, and you know who I thank for it, my "middle class teachers" from 13years of education at wait for it...yes New Bedford Public Schools!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Think they mean,the children need role models that look like them come from backgrounds like them...there is no diversity in the New Bedford schools.the ratios are so off.

Anonymous said...

Two jobs to support themselves,try living on 12,000$ a year like most of our students families do.

Anonymous said...

Don't most teachers at least make 50 thousand.?

Unknown said...

Only if you wrote about what your criticism means!

Anonymous said...

Highly educated, diverse individuals do not choose to teach in high numbers. We are not keeping them out, they don't want in. It is a national problem. NBPS is not purposely denying people of color the opportunity to teach.

Anonymous said...

50,000 before taxes are taken out, insurance...teachers make peanuts! We don't get paid for our 12 hour days. Compared to the other professions that have an equal amount of education, we are on the low end of the totem pole salary wise. Don't forget, I spend at least 1/4 of my pay on my students.

Anonymous said...

50,000$ is a lot compared to the parents who make 12,000$....try living on that..if you get a second job it's only because you want more extra things in life.

Anonymous said...

Teachers start at about $39K and about 5 years in cross the threshold of $50K... but yes you're sorta right. That $50K goes to their mortgage, student loans, credit card bills, car insurance, house insurance, utilities (gas, electric, phone, cable, water/sewage), school supplies, food, clothes, excise tax, federal taxes, union dues, medical insurance, state taxes, retirement fund, dental, etc. Yes, teachers are "lucky" to receive huge compensation.

Anonymous said...

Yes teachers are underpaid/ they are required to get their masters degrees and often times now are taking classes during the summer furthering their own education, spending money on school supplies and sometimes acting as teacher, social worker, and counselor in some situations.
Yes data needs to inform instruction however it should not be used as a punitive tool to destroy admin and teachers.
The poster above is correct the latest studies clinical in brain development of young children show that birth through 3 is essential to child brain development and growing up in extreme poverty or with very little stimulation or tumultuous circumstances (multiple homes, foster care system. Has an Immense impact on cognitive ability and psycho-social functioning.
The standard times is a sub par piece of trash that no one should bother reading. Durkin put that turnaround plan in place herself with a hand selected principal that only lasted 2 years. This principal who is one and a half years in was brought here BY DURKIN from Attleboro. the failure at that school to me lays at PRAB. But the Standard times isn't even smart enough to look through their own article archives where they sung the praise of both of these school leaders!

Anonymous said...

Your lucky with your salary to buy things and even have a mortgage ,the family's living on 12 thousand cannot have those things imagine how their children feel.

Anonymous said...

Here is the reality check. Everyone has the opportunity to get a free quality education from grades K-12. Students who make the conscious choice to not pay attention in class, act out in school, skip school and classes, and quit school will eventually pay the price later in life. Feeling sorry for one's self won't get one anywhere. For the person who wrote try living on $12,000 which we all know is very difficult, you must remember that many of these people are entitled to food stamps, fuel assistance, housing allowances, most likely free medical, dental, eye care, just to name a few. Are some of those parents smoking, getting tattoos, or have cellphones? If the answer is yes, then those individuals should realize that these things are not necessities but luxuries. Education is the key to success.

Anonymous said...

Go out and receive an education. Period. It is up to the person to make their lives better. Whining and complaining about making $12000 a year doesn't earn anyone's respect. Get off your butt and make your life better. Stop blaming others for your situation. As it is, FREE assistance is available , well it's not really free..is it?

Anonymous said...

By the way, I earned that salary to buy a home . I don't get free handouts....I earned everything I have by working my butt off! I started off poor, but I made a choice...I didn't want any FREE handouts. I wanted to better myself! No excuses!

Anonymous said...

I don't feel sorry for any person that does not work to make their lives better. So, miss $12,000 a year, go get an education. It's most likely FREE for you.